In the wild, big cats know exactly what they need to eat. By feeding your kitten the right food at the right times, you’ll be supporting her natural instincts as a carnivore and solitary hunter.
Special kitten food
For the first 4–5 weeks of her life, your kitten will get all she needs from her mother. She’ll normally be weaned by 7 weeks, but even from week 4 you can get her used to eating a specially prepared food like Whiskas® Kitten Pouch.
Small tummy, big appetite
Your cute kitten might be small, but she’s going to grow 15 times faster than a human baby! However, with a stomach that starts out the size of your thumbnail, she can't eat very much in one go. That's why it's important to feed your kitten small meals at regular intervals – up to 6 times a day to begin with. In the early days, try spreading the food on to a plate so she can just lick and get a taste for it.
Kitten to cat portions
Whiskas Kitten Pouches are perfect for a single tasty meal for kitten from 4 months onwards. You should feed your kitten 3–4 meals a day until they are 6 months old. Following this you can feed them between 2-4 meals a day. Kittens can eat Whiskas® adult cat food when they are between 10-12 months old which they can have twice a day.
Careful eaters
In the wild, big cats are careful eaters, avoiding anything that tastes “off”. Your kitten shares those instincts, and will prefer every meal to be fresh, served at room temperature in a clean bowl.
Changing food
Introduce any new food very gradually and a little at a time, as sudden changes might upset your kitten’s sensitive tummy.
Not on the menu
After kittens are weaned, they lose their ability to digest milk – so no cow's milk! Many human foods can be harmful to cats – for example, onions can cause anaemia. So don’t be tempted to give her table scraps and human treats. If you're feeding her the right food at the right times, then she’ll be getting all the nutrition she needs.
Water
Your kitten has a super-sensitive nose and tongue that will easily pick up unfamiliar chemical smells. That’s why she might prefer drinking from puddles (or even the toilet!) rather than her water bowl. To encourage your kitten to drink more, place her water bowl in a quiet spot away from her litter tray. But if her strange drinking habits continue, don’t worry – it’s perfectly normal!
Litter tray
In the wild, big cats are careful about keeping clean. That’s why they don’t eat and go to the toilet in the same place. Your little kitten is no different, so make sure you keep her litter tray well away from the places where she eats and drinks. To find out more please read Litter Tray Training.
A long and healthy life
A shiny coat, bright eyes and supple muscle tone are all good signs your kitten is nutritionally healthy. If you feed her a balanced food that's right for every stage of her life, you'll soon see it reflected in her appearance.